DiMaria Rewrites Records as USA Falls in WWC Quarterfinal

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The United States' 2026 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup journey in Morocco came to an end in the Quarterfinals with a 3-0 defeat to two-time defending champions Korea DPR. But make no mistake this was a good showing for our girls despite the Quarter Final defeat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Any telling of this tournament begins with Maddie DiMaria. The North Carolina committed forward didn't just score goals in Morocco, she rewrote the record books. Dimaria finished with 12 goals in the tournament, the most ever by a single player in a single FIFA U17 Women's World Cup, a record she set in just the second group stage match. Her total stands as the most goals by any US player in any FIFA Women's World Cup Tournament surpassing even the legendary Michelle Akers' 10 goals at the inaugural 1991 senior Women's World Cup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her signature moment came in the opener with 6 goals against Samoa. She became the first player to score 6 or more goals in any FIFA finals match since Erling Haaland's 9 at the 2019 U20 World Cup. She followed that with a 4 goal performance against Kenya, a single goal against China and then a pivotal goal against Spain in the round of 16. 12 goals in a single World Cup coming 1 shy of Just Fontaine's famous World Cup record where he scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup Finals. She closed her U17 career with 24 goals in 23 appearances, tying Sunshine Fontes' all-time US record. A truly historic, star-making tournament for DiMaria. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a team effort in the record shattering 17-0 win over Samoa. It was the highest-scoring match in any FIFA World Cup game at any level and was about far more then DiMaria. Ten different Americans found the net. Midfielder and the only 2011 born on this roster Loradana Paletta and forward [player_tooltip player_id='148139' first='Carolina' last='Reyna'] each bagged braces, with singles from captain Mia Corona, [player_tooltip player_id='112148' first='Grace' last='Murray'], Amari Manning, Deus Stanislaus, Isa Ortiz, Meila Brewer, and Gianna Hanf. Nine different players recorded assists. It was a statement of this squad's staggering attacking depth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The USA punched their ticket into the Round of 16 by beating Kenya in round 2. To go along with Dimaria's 4 goals, Gianna Hanf and Loradanna Paletta got on the scoresheet as well. With Amaria Manning getting an assist, and Paletta providing one of her own as well as winning a penalty that DiMaria converted. Coach Ciara Crinion rotated her squad in this game handing Maddie Maves and [player_tooltip player_id='268397' first='Gigi' last='Zuniga'] their first World Cup appearances and both of which having standout performances in this game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tournament took a turn for the worse in the last group stage game against China. With both center backs [player_tooltip player_id='111128' first='Venina' last='Moodie'] and Meila Brewer picking up knocks in the previous game against Kenya and the USA would miss them dearly. And although the USA had the better of the game, outshooting China 20-12 as well as a better XG result of 2.34 to China's 0.94. China's compact, disciplined defending and clinical finishing simply made the difference on the day. Isa Ortiz got herself on the scoresheet again in this game while DiMaria added the other. This put the USA in 2nd place in this group which would end up being costly as they had to face tournament favorites Spain in the Round of 16. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was the highlight of the tournament for our American girls. Moodie and Brewer returning to the lineup in this game made a massive difference for the USA. Toppling the pre-tournament favorites was no easy task and that's exactly what the US did. Deus Stanislaus opened the scoring in the 43rd minute, and DiMaria struck again in the first-half stoppage time with her record extending 12th goal. Paletta was named Player of The Match in this game as the 15-year old delivered on the grandest stage in a performance full of grit and belief that defined this team's run. [player_tooltip player_id='147282' first='Kendra' last='Hansen'] who turned in a quietly outstanding tournament in her right back role was fantastic against Spain thwarting any attack that came her way with her electrifying burst of speed and defensive instincts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the quarters, in what I considered to be the early final of this tournament the USA met a buzzsaw. The two-time reigning champions North Korea were simply just a level above. With the Spain game taking a lot out of this group it is a difficult task to take on such a well drilled team in such a short turnaround. Korea DPR outshot the USA 33-5 in this game and thoroughly deserved the 3-0 win. It is a fascinating soccer nation with very little access to the outside world but I have never seen girls play soccer the way they do. They take the term "team ball" and turn it into an art form. Every single player is world class technically, every single one knows their role, and they fight for each other to no end. Even in defeat, there was American heroism in this match. Goalkeeper Avellina Saunders was outstanding in this game making 9 saves and saving a penalty. It is safe to say that without her this result could have been a whole lot worse. For a 15-year old keeper to stand tall against the two-time defending champions was a genuine bright spot and a sign of her own bright future. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the dust settles I think you can call this a successful campaign. From the outside you see a Quarterfinal exit as a disappointment for a nation that usually gets to the semi-final or final but that doesn't tell the whole story. The USA played the other two best teams in this tournament and beat the pre-tournament favorites. As well as unveiling a record-shattering talent in DiMaria and showcasing remarkable depth. From Paletta and Reyna up top, to Brewer, Hansen, and Moodie at the back, to a 15 year old keeper in Saunders. I'd argue that they didn't fall short so much as run into the two best teams in the tournament early in the knockout rounds. This group has nothing to hang its head about, and it served notice: the future of American Women's Soccer is in very good hands moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->